Sidonie zellenka



July 2, 1929. s, ZELLENKA 1.719.579

ARTICLE OF WEARING APPAREL Filed Aug. 29, 1925 [NVE/V TOR.

- I ATT 1v Patented Juiy 2, 1929.

SIDONIE ZELLENKA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ARTICLE OF WEARING APPAREL.

Application filed August 29, 1925. Serial No. 53,217.

which may be worn in lieu of several separate garments generallyemployed. Accordingly, the garment of th1s invention is constructed toperform the combined functions 1 garment is made with a body portionextending from the waistline downwardly well over the hips at both frontand back. In the back, v the body portion is cut relatively higher,while in the front, the body portion is extended upwardly above thewaistline to a point to or directly underlying the bust of the wearer.The body portion is preferably devoid of boning or stays and is made ofa material which will not stretch and lose its shape. It is thereby welladapted to perform the functions of a corset. The upward extension ofthe body portion above the waistline serves to properly support thediaphragm, while those parts of the body portion which overlie the hipsproduce that smart straight line figure, which is now considered mostdesirable. Above the upper edge of theforward part of the body portionand suitably secured thereto by stitching is an upper front section ofknittedmaterial so constituted that it will properly conform to andsupport the breasts without detrimental pressure or constriction. It issuitably reinforced and its function is to support the breasts in anatural manner, giving youthful form thereto.

Elastic sections are incorporated in the sides of the body portion,preferably in the form' of darts extending upwardly from the lower edgethereto. The garment is provided with a side opening, which may benormally closed by any suitable means such as hooks and eyes, snapfasteners and the like.

Features of the invention, other than those speclfied, will be apparentfrom the hereinafter detailed description and claims, when readinconjunction with the accompanying drawlng.

The drawing illustrates one practical embodiment of the invention, butthe construction therein shown is to be understood as illustrative,only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure 1 shows a garment of the present invention in place on a wearer;and,

Figure 2 shows the garment laid out flat.

The garment of this invention embodies, generally speaking, threedistinct portions, which, for the purpose of concrete description may bereferred to as the back portion 1, a lower front portion 2, and an upperfront portlon 3. One side of the lower front portion 2 is connected toone side ofthe back portion 1 through an interposed dart & of elasticwebbing, while a similar dart 5 is secured to the other lateral edge ofthe portion 2 and is provided along its free edge with hooks or eyes orother suitable fastening means 6, adapted to cooperate withcomplementary attaching devices 7 formed at the vertical free edge ofthe back portion 1.

As shown best in Figure 2, the attaching devices 6 and 7 extend the fullheight of the garment at both edges thereof, so that the garment opensalong this side to permit it to be put on and taken ofi.

The back portion 1 is relatively long in a vertical direction. Itextends downwardly well over the hips and buttocks and upwardly wellabove the waistline to a point preferably slightly below the shoulderblades. The front F portion 2 extends upwardly from substantially theline of the lower edge of the back portion to a point well above thewaistline and directly under the breasts. Both the portionsl and 2 areformed from fabric not liable to stretch and of sufficient strength toproperly support the diaphragm and lumbar regions, and impart to thoseparts of the body which they cover that substantially straight line formwhich is now considered smart and desirable. V

Positioned directly above the upper edge of the front portion 2 andsewed thereto so as to extend across the entire front of the body andoverlie the breasts, is the upper front portion 3. One lateral edge ofthis front portion is secured to the contiguous edge of the backportion, while the other lateral edge of the front port-ion carriesattaching devices 6 for normally holding the side opening of the garmentin closed position. The portion 3 is of knitted material, cut on thebias and set into place in such manner that the two lateral halves ofthe portion 3 can assume the natural contour of the breasts. Thus, theleft hand half of the front section 8, in Figure 2, is composed of fourparts 7, 8, 9 and 10, while the right hand portion is similarly composedof four parts 11, 12, 13 and 14;. The respective parts are seamedtogether and the seams are preferably reinforced by tapes 15, which may,in practice, be of the same material as the sections are made of. I

The upper edge of the upper center section 3 is provided with a suitablebinding 16 of non-yielding material, so as to keep this part of thegarment from stretching in a lateral direction. The bottom of thelower'front section 2'is also suit-ably bound and this is also true ofthe upper and lower edges of the back section 1. The garment ispreferably provided with suitable shoulder straps 1-7 and garter tabs18.

in practice, the garment is worn as shown in Figure 1 from which it willbe seen that the front part 1 extends upwardly well above the waistlinedesignated 19, so that the upper edge of said portion directly underliesthe breasts of the wearer. The upper front portion 3 overlies thebreasts but because of its inherent yielding charactertistics and theformation of it in sections as described, it will imparts flowing linesto the figure. The elastic-gussets 1 bind that part of the ports land 2below thewaistline firmly about the hips without, however, producinguncomfortable constriction.

In practice, the garment 1s made of washable material, the garters arereadily removable from the tabs 18 and no stays or boning areused in'theconstruction. Accordingly,

. it can be washed as any other garment.

It will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description that theconstruction of 7 this garmentis such that it fulfills the purposes forWl11Cl1 several garments have previously been employed and thesepurposes I are fulfilled in a better way tl'ian heretofore as there isno overlapping of garments which,

if present, produce unsightly wrinkles or =r1dges in the outer garments.

The effect, when the present invention is used, is that of longrelatively straight lines with just that nice suggestion of shapingwhich is so desirable to present tailoring needs.

As most of the brassieres worn in recent ment the combined functions ofa corset, a brass1ere, a vest and a chemise, and. composed of a backpart'extending downwardly from a point materially above the waistline tooverlie the buttocks, a front abdominal-part'connected at its lateraledges to the back part and extendingupwardly from substantially thelower edge of the back part to termin'ate above the waist line and belowthebreasts of the wearer, both of said front and backparts being ofpractically unstretchable material,

and a breast partsecured to and extending upwardly from the upper edgeof the ab-w dominal part to substantially: the upper edge of the backpart and connected. at its lateral of readily flexible knitted material:cut on the bias and comprising a plurality of: sections seamed togetherto approximately con edges to-said back part, said: breast part beingform to the contour of the breasts without constriction, and" anon-yieldable binding extending transverselyacross the upper'tedge ofthe breast part to preclude stretching of this edge.

2. A new article of wearing apparel con structed to form in a singleunitary garment the combined functions of a corset, a brassiere, a vestand-a chemise, comprisinga back portion extending downwardly from .apoint materially above the waist: line to overlie the buttocks,afrontabdominal portion connected at its lateral edges toxthe backportion and extending upwardly fromsubstantially the lower edge of the.back ortion to terminate above the waist line and] immediatelybelow thebreasts of the wearer, the front and back portions being ofsubstantiallynon-stretchable material, and the breast portion secured to andextending upwardly from the upper edge ofthe abdominal portion tosubstantially the upper'ed-geof the back portion and. connected at itslateral edges to said back portion, said breast pertion being offlexible knitted material shaped to cover and conformto the breastsWithout I constriction of the latter. 1 1

3. A new article of wearing apparel/coir structed to form in a singleunitary garmentthe combined functions of a corset, a

brassiere, a vest and a chemise, comprising a back portion extendingdownwardly from a point materially above the waist line to overlie thebuttocks, a front abdominal portion connected at its lateral edges tothe back portion and extending upwardly from substantially the loweredge of the back portion to terminate above the waist line andimmediately below the breasts of the wearer, the front and back portionsbeing of substan tially non-stretchable material, and the I breastportion secured to and extending .up-

wardly from the upper edge of the abdominal portion to substantially theupper edge of the back portion and connected at its lateral edges tosaid back portion, said breast portion being of flexible knittedmaterial andv comprising a plurality of sections seamed together toapproximately conform to the con tour of the breasts and adapted tocover the breasts without constriction.

4. A new article of wearing apparel constructed to form in a singleunitary garment the combined functions of a corset, a brassiere, a vestand a chemise, comprising a back portion extending downwardly from apoint materially above the waist line to overlie the buttocks, a frontabdominal portion connected at its lateral edges to the back portion andextending upwardly from substantially the lower edge of the back portionto terminate above the waist line and immediately below the breasts ofthe wearer, the front and back portions being of substantiallynon-stretchable material, and the breast portion secured to andextending upwardly from the upper edge of the abdominal portion tosubstantially the upper edge of the back portion and connected at itslateral edges to said back portion, said breast portion being offlexible knit-ted material and comprising a plurality of sections seamedtogether to approximately conform to the contour of the breasts andadapted to cover the breasts without constriction, and a non-yieldablebinding extending transversely across the upper edge of the breastportion to prevent stretching of the edge of such portion.

In testimony whereof I have signed the foregoing specification.

SIDONIE ZELLENKA.

